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Has anyone of you guys had a chance to look at Kenjis "The wok"? I am upgrading from a cheap and relatively weak aldi camping burner I use as a balcony wokstation to a proper thai burner (Kb5 super pan). So far I taught myself how to wok by watching school of wok recipe videos and just doing my thing. This has worked fine and I made pretty decent dishes, but with my new burner incoming I want to learn proper techniques and build some general wok knowledge. Is Kenjis book good for that? If not, which book would you recommend?
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Sep 13, 2023 23:56
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Hopper posted:Has anyone of you guys had a chance to look at Kenjis "The wok"? I didn't enjoy kenjis book much, but don't have an alternative to offer. I got over some of my hiccups learning wok cooking just hanging out with my friend's mom.
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Sep 15, 2023 01:46
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Is she still available for wok instruction? I'm in the Pacific NW.
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Sep 15, 2023 02:48
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I thumbed through it a while back. I don’t think I made any of the recipes, I was mostly just picking through it for techniques, tips, and inspiration. There was a lot of good info in it, but my impression was that it was a little unstructured and rambly. Like you’d have a recipe, then an aside about a technique or ingredient, then another recipe. Definitely a good pick up from the library. If you want to buy it you can always just start by watching a couple of his wok videos on his YouTube channel for a good start, then evaluate if you want his book or not.
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Sep 15, 2023 04:37
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Checked out my local Super 88, best option for inside/kitchen range ended up being this. https://www.amazon.com/Wahei-Freiz-Frying-compatible-GR-9749/dp/B000XUK9US It’s kinda small, but I’m not averse to working in batches. Decent pick?
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Sep 16, 2023 17:32
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It sounds like it's some kind of nonstick pan (well it says it has a silicone resin coating, which I haven't heard of before). IMO some kind of carbon steel would be the best and would last the longest.
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Sep 16, 2023 20:30
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Ugh, okay. I tried to translate the text on it which suggested it was made of iron, but I didn’t catch the silicone coating thing. I’ll return it tomorrow and just get one online instead.
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Sep 16, 2023 21:54
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Eeyo posted:It sounds like it's some kind of nonstick pan (well it says it has a silicone resin coating, which I haven't heard of before). IMO some kind of carbon steel would be the best and would last the longest. I hadn’t either, so I went down the rabbit hole trying to figure it out. It looks like it’s an organic polymer resin that’s silicone based. It’s a non-stick coating on aluminium, so while it’s supposed to be okay, it’s still not going to be super great for high heat though it isn’t strictly limited to around 400F like your silicone spatulas.
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Sep 17, 2023 00:53
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Re: woks, is the selection on Amazon any decent or should I bite the bullet and pay $25 for shipping on a $35 wok? 
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Sep 17, 2023 17:09
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Pollyanna posted:Re: woks, is the selection on Amazon any decent or should I bite the bullet and pay $25 for shipping on a $35 wok? full disclosure: I'm only a casual, self-taught not very good cooker of some chinese recipes but I did get a couple of sturdy, very durable medium-sized woks from a local asian store, which supplies businesses as well as the home cook https://www.asiamarket.ie/table-kitchenware/kitchen-utensils/woks.html?product_list_order=name Would you have anything similar reasonably close to hand? It's just nice to get to pick them up to check the weight/feel before you buy 
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Sep 17, 2023 17:24
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The local Super 88 only has “hard anodized” nonstick-looking woks alongside that black steel and silicone one I shared. There are a couple round bottom ones with metal handles that might not be nonstick, but they’re like $45 for 20” which is more than I need (I cook for one). Maybe there’s a better market nearby, I’ll do some research.
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Sep 17, 2023 17:38
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Oh I didn't realise Super 88 was an Asian supplies store, what a pain that they only sell woks with weird coatings. Mine are, I think steel, with wooden handles, and they both came coated with a heavy, industrial-type oil that had to be very very thoroughly cleaned off before use. Fun fact: the day I bought the big one, I got a bit of a roof dropped on me on my way home, got taken to hospital in an ambulance, where I was wheeled around in a wheelchair. The whole time I was just clinging to my giant new wok (Roof mostly bounced off me, I was fine)
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Sep 17, 2023 17:50
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Went to a different market that did have those woks, so now we’re good! Yayyyy
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Sep 17, 2023 18:09
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Brilliant! Out of curiosity, I just measured mine, and the one I think of as "big" is only 15 inches across, and relatively shallow. The little one is 10inches and is a lovely deep round bowl shape. A 20 inch wok sounds monstrously big to use at home, so I can see why you weren't keen.
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Sep 17, 2023 18:19
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Eeyo posted:I thumbed through it a while back. I don’t think I made any of the recipes, I was mostly just picking through it for techniques, tips, and inspiration. Thank you, I was asked for gift ideas for myself, so I'll put it on the list, I tend to jump back and forth for what I need in books like this anyway, so rambly is fine. And I like his style anyway.
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Sep 17, 2023 21:56
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First attempt at seasoning this new wok. I followed the CCD video but used rendered larou fat, so it was already melted and had to get swirled around/spread with a paper towel in places. Then again with a little bit of peanut oil since I ran out of lard. This is after about 6~7 minutes of heating: It’s a bit patchy in places, but on the right track. Hopefully this improves over time???
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Sep 18, 2023 16:18
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its 2023. things get worse over time now.
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Sep 18, 2023 16:21
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fart simpson posted:its 2023. things get worse over time now. https://foodsided.com/2023/09/19/little-goat-ranch-chili-crunch-hidden-valley-ranch/
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Sep 20, 2023 11:53
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SwissArmyDruid posted:https://foodsided.com/2023/09/19/little-goat-ranch-chili-crunch-hidden-valley-ranch/ Congratulations to chilli crisp on making it out of the ethnic aisle!   
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Sep 20, 2023 13:37
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I mean, it’s blasphemous, and bottled ranch is disgusting, but the ranch powder is mostly msg, buttermilk powder and herbs. I’m not sold on puffed quinoa and masa chips as the crunch, with only gochugaru for the chili flavor and heat, but I’ll definitely try my homemade chili crisp with a little ranch powder just to see.
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Sep 20, 2023 15:17
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I've been mixing chili crisp with sour cream for years. Primary leftover pizza dipping sauce.
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Sep 20, 2023 20:49
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I posted before about mixing lgm with a spoonful of mayo and a little chinkiang vinegar into a tin of drained tuna. It sounds nasty but it's really tasty  edit: you know what? I find it more than a little irritating that people are reinventing various types of chinese created chili crisps instead of just supporting the originals. Yes, I prefer to buy giant jars of LGM for 8 euro instead of your dinky little "irish-made" jar of knockoff LGM for 4 euro for a yoghurt-pot sized amount. My very irish, terrible cook mother buys two jars at a time of the huge, 8-inch tall jars. Woman lives on LGM. I told my aunt about it and she can't keep a jar in the house because my cousin eats it from the jar with a spoon every time he passes the fridge. Pookah fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Sep 20, 2023 |
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Sep 20, 2023 20:56
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Or supermarket soy sauce at 4x the price of Pearl River Bridge.
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Sep 20, 2023 21:30
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Mr. Wiggles posted:I've been mixing chili crisp with sour cream for years. That was my original idea, plz don't steal
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Sep 20, 2023 21:33
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Sir Sidney Poitier posted:Or supermarket soy sauce at 4x the price of Pearl River Bridge. The one that really drives me nuts is oyster sauce: Hmm, shall I spend 3.95 on 600ml of an oyster sauce that is 30% oysters edit: brand is Maekrua https://www.asiamarket.ie/maekrua-oyster-sauce-600ml.html or "Blue Dragon Oyster Sauce", a commonly found supermarket brand, that about 2 quid for a tiny bottle: quote:Water, Sugar, Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein Powder, Modified Maize Starch, Salt, Dark Soy Sauce [Water, Salt, Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Defatted Soya Bean Flakes, Colour (Plain Caramel), Yeast Extract, Spirit Vinegar, Wheat], Colour (Plain Caramel), Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid), Oyster Meat Powder (0.3%) (Mollusc) ...
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Sep 20, 2023 21:40
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Pollyanna posted:First attempt at seasoning this new wok. I followed the CCD video but used rendered larou fat, so it was already melted and had to get swirled around/spread with a paper towel in places. Then again with a little bit of peanut oil since I ran out of lard. This is after about 6~7 minutes of heating: I dont want to be a dick, and I am certainly no expert, but that surface does not look like bare metal to me, it looks like a non-stick coating. Like, the base metal of the wok is a pale silver, going by the rim, but the inner side is black.
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Sep 20, 2023 21:45
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Sir Sidney Poitier posted:Or supermarket soy sauce at 4x the price of Pearl River Bridge. Not Chinese, but this is my favorite of recent times locally. Even freakin' southern-state WalMart carries Mae Ploy nowadays:  Or you can buy a 4-ounce thimble of incredibly bland, zero-heat American-mass-market Thai Kitchen:  Sitting right next to each other on the shelves, one more than 4x the unit price of the other.
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Sep 21, 2023 05:02
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marshalljim posted:Not Chinese, but this is my favorite of recent times locally. Even freakin' southern-state WalMart carries Mae Ploy nowadays: I have the Mae Ploy tom yum every day for lunch so I get the even bigger tubs. It is excellent. I do have to go to the Asian supermarket for it though, as I do with pretty much anything that isn't a few brands of instant noodles.
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Sep 21, 2023 06:39
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Pookah posted:I dont want to be a dick, and I am certainly no expert, but that surface does not look like bare metal to me, it looks like a non-stick coating. Like, the base metal of the wok is a pale silver, going by the rim, but the inner side is black. If the scrambled eggs I’ve made in it are anything to go by, it is very much not nonstick by default  I’ll take a better pic when I get home. Maybe there’s a test I can do to prove it as well?
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Sep 21, 2023 15:21
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Pollyanna posted:If the scrambled eggs I’ve made in it are anything to go by, it is very much not nonstick by default send it out to the lab
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Sep 21, 2023 15:25
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I think some woks have an antirust coating you need to remove before seasoning too although you pretty much just need to get the whole thing hot which is something you would do during seasoning anyway
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Sep 21, 2023 15:40
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Yeah I scrubbed it down real good before the first seasoning. Also that dark seasoning patina really doesn’t happen on any nonstick I’ve ever used, so it’s unlikely to be nonstick.
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Sep 21, 2023 15:41
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mystes posted:I think some woks have an antirust coating you need to remove before seasoning too although you pretty much just need to get the whole thing hot which is something you would do during seasoning anyway i'll assume this means you're a fascist
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Sep 21, 2023 15:45
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It took about 2 years before I could fry an egg or cook fried rice in my wok (8 dollars from ikea in chengdu) without it sticking but now it’s good and was the biggest thing I packed when I absconded from China cuz I’m never bothering to season another wok.
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Sep 21, 2023 15:55
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fart simpson posted:i'll assume this means you're a fascist
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Sep 21, 2023 15:56
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marshalljim posted:Not Chinese, but this is my favorite of recent times locally. Even freakin' southern-state WalMart carries Mae Ploy nowadays: My Thai friend who was a really terrific cook, used Mae Ploy. She said it's way too much a pain in the rear end to make your own Thai curry sauce. Also, it seems to last forever in the fridge.
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Sep 24, 2023 06:15
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I used to use Mae Ploy all the time but it doesn't seem to be available around my way any more, idk why. Big fan of the green paste.
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Sep 24, 2023 10:59
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Could I get some guidance on the super basics for authentic Chinese stir fry: What are the measurements for meat and marinade What are the measurements for seasoning? What are the measurements for sauce, if any? I know it’s soy sauce, white pepper, msg, alcohol, vinegar. What else and what amounts?
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Sep 24, 2023 23:21
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It depends on what you're making. Stir fry is a cooking technique, not a dish. It's like asking for what makes an authentic German baked. Baked what? What are you trying to cook? E: Here's the most generic technique stuff I can think of. There won't be any measurements because it depends on what you're making and how much. Meat: meat is generally sliced thin, against the grain, and gets a marinade. Chicken, pork, beef, anything along those lines you can treat more or less the same way. Don't do this to fish. Slice thin, add cornstarch, a bit of salt, light soy sauce, Shaoxing. Mix well. Add cooking oil, mix again. Some marinades are more involved but this will suffice for anything. It doesn't need to sit more than 20 minutes or so, though longer doesn't hurt. You don't want this to be swimming and wet, the meat should absorb everything and the oil is just a coating. Vegetables: Aromatics (garlic, ginger, green onion, sometimes peppers are in this category) sliced thin or minced depending on how strong you want them to be. The size and shape of other vegetables depend on what texture you want and how well the vegetable in question holds its crunch. Just try to keep the pieces as even as you can so they cook at the same rate. Sauces I can't give you anything on. it's entirely dependent on what you're making. Grand Fromage fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Sep 24, 2023 |
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Sep 24, 2023 23:28
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https://www.tiktok.com/embed/7282851003635043630
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Sep 26, 2023 00:10
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